By David Amoruso for Gangsters Inc.
Chicago has always had the reputation of a city of a gangster, known best for Al Capone. A gangster that loved cameras and engraved its name in history books around the world. But for each boss who looked for the spotlight, there was a boss who preferred the shadows. Frank Nitti was such a man. They called him “to emfer him”, but unlike his predecessor, he preferred money to the spotlight, silence on the headlines.
Born Francesco Raffaele Nitto in 1886 in Salerne, Italy, Nitti and his family came to the United States in 1893. They settled for the first time in New York and it was only in the 1910s, when Nitti, now in the twenties, arrived in Chicago.
The streets were hard for a newly arrived immigrant. From an early age, Nitti had to be clear and fast as well as violent when the need arose. In Chicago, he became one of the first fences of the city, leading a large network of buyers for stolen products. His links proved to be vital when Prohibition Struck and was able to move alcohol through its various transport centers.
This brought him to the attention of the boss of Chicago Mob John Torrio and his right hand of confidence Alphonse Capone For whom he introduced the fence of upper shelving whiskey Canada in the United States.
While Torrio moved to the background, Capone moved to the fore, becoming the undisputed chief of the Chicago Mafia, known as Chicago's outfit. He was counting more and more on Nitti and made him his second commander. Capone trusted Nitti to move its liqueur, monitor the flow of money and the operation of operations and keep the cops and competitors in check. He used his brain more than his brawn to make sure everyone has followed the rules of the crowd. This is how he obtained his nickname: “Emmer him”.
Where Capone smiles for the press and transformed things into a show, Nitti kept his mouth closed and remained in the shadows.
But not out of the IRS reticle. The “tax man” had his eyes on Capone and his friends and jumped in 1931. First, they arrived in Nitti who was sentenced to 18 months. Then they slapped Capone’s brother Ralph, with 3 years in prison.
The shock was not yet to come. When it was time for Capone to face justice, the judge sentenced him to 11 years in prison.
Boss
When Capone fell for tax evasion, Nitti was selected as a new leader in the outfit. But he would not be alone. Paul Ricca And Anthony Accardo would manage the strategy and the muscles, while Nitti has become the face of continuity.
Whatever the title or status you want to use to describe the new Nitti position: he was considered the Supreme Chief. So much so that when the mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, wanted to weaken the power of the outfit in December 1932, he sent some detectives from the Chicago police loyal to the Nitti office to hit him.
The detective sergeants Harry Lang and Harry Miller burst into the nitti office in room 554 at 221 N. LaSalle Street in Chicago and started to shoot. Nitti was hit three times on the back and neck. He was injured but not out. In fact, he survived.
Mayor Cermak would not be as lucky. Two months later, he was shot by Giuseppe Zangara while he was standing next to the president elected Franklin D. Roosevelt. Although this seems to be an attempt at the failed assassination of Roosevelt, some suspects Cermak have been targeted by the mafia.
Hollywood dreams
Nitti outfit was not satisfied with bars and bookmakers. They put their fingers in several pies. No business was sure. Not even Hollywood. When he heard how Union Strongmen William Bioff and George Browne directed an extortion program intended The biggest Hollywood studiosHe recognized the money to be made.
Cinema was the fourth industry in the United States and could hold millions. A few days later, Browne and Bioff were invited to the house of a Chicago gangster who lived next to Nitti.
During this meeting, Nitti, supported by the gangsters of Chicago's outfit, Paul Ricca, Charlie Fischetti and the Jewish boss “Lepke” Buchalter from New York, was very clear: we know your racket and we take over. But Nitti was a businessman and decided to keep Browne and Booff involved. Thanks to the influence of Mob, Brown was elected head of the iatse: the international alliance of employees of the theatrical scene. With Browne in place, the crowd could extort each cinema chain in the United States.
Dreams turn into a nightmare
It is difficult to remain “out of the image” of the police during the extortion of a business such as cinema. In 1943, the Federals were on the Hollywood scam. Nitti and other gangs of outfit like Paul Ricca, Phil d'Andrea, Louis Campagna, Nick Cirlla, Charles Gioe, Ralph Pierce and John Roselli were charged.
Ricca put all the blame for the indictment on Nitti, 57 years old. It was his idea to involve the outfit. It was Nitti who wanted to use Bioff, who then overthrew and testified against his bosses. Ricca said Nitti should take rap and go to prison on behalf of the other Chicago gangsters.
On March 19, 1943, Nitti was at the crossroads. The next day, he had to appear before a great jury. His “subordinates” asked him for pressure to fall and have prison time for everyone in the Hollywood extortion. While having breakfast with his wife at their home at 712 Selborne Road in Riverside, Illinois, thoughts had to run in his mind.
He told his wife that he was going to walk later. She was in church. Alone, Nitti started drinking a lot. He then obtained a loaded caliber revolver and put it in the pocket of his coat. He opened the door and walked several houses of houses to a local railway site.
Three shots were heard by passers -by. Everyone was dismissed by Nitti while he was trying to shoot himself in the head. After failing twice, he hit the fatal shot on his third try. One of the most powerful men in Chicago died by self-inflicted ball on a railway.
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